We inuBt speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us, 

—Hamlet 



wtii5T • mm 



And How to Make Them 



G V 

1277 

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By C. R. KEILEY 

■»1f-TMB OONTINBNTIkL OLUMj NBWYOH 



F'RIOE 2 5 Cknxs 



PUBLISHED BY C. M. BRIGHT 

SYRACUSE, N. Y. 

1895 






WHIST POINTS 

And How to ^Make Them 



^W0 

^ 



GUL 



COPYRIGHT, 1895 
C. M. BRIGHT 



INTRODUCTORY. 

This little book presupposes some knowledge of 
"whist on the part of the reader, and is intended to 
contain suggestions rather than fiats. There is 
nothing new in it. The compiler has simply placed 
before the reader as concisely as possible some of 
the points of whist which he thinks are of the most 
importance in the development of a good game. 
He hopes it may be of assistance to the learner in- 
stead of befogging him, as a more pretentious effort 
might do. There is a reason for every good play 
in whist. If the manner of making the play is 
given, the reason for it will occur to every one who 
can ever hope to become a whist player. 



WHIST POINTS. 



REGULAR LEADS. 

Until you have mastered all the salient points of 
the game, and are blessed with a partner possessing 
equal intelligence and information, you will do 
well to follow the general rule: — Open your hand 
by leading your longest suit. 

There are certain well established leads from 
combinations of high cards, which it would be well 
for every student of the game to learn. They are 
easy to remember, and are of great value in giving^ 
information regarding numerical and trick taking 
strength simultaneously, 

ACE. 

The ace is led from suits containing, ace-king 
and three or more small, ace and four or more 
small, and ace-queen-knave and one or more small. 

With the first of these combinations lead ace, 
then king; from the second lead ace, then original 
fourth best ; with the third lead ace and follow 
with queen, if suit contains four cards; if five, fol- 
low with knave. Even if lo is with this last com- 
bination do not follow ace with it, as you give 
enough information both as to length and strength 
by the knave played second, without confusing 
your partner at all. 



King is led from a suit of four cards only, and 
denotes absolutely the possession of either ace or 
queen. 

If led from ace-king combination follow with ace; 
if from king-queen, follow with lowest card, pro- 
vided king wins. If, however, with ace-king you 
hold queen and small, follow with queen; or queen 
and knave, follow with knave. 

If with king-queen you have knave, lead it sec- 
ond; with knave and lo, lead the lo. 

Any of these cards winning after the king, pro- 
claim the rest with you. 



Queen led declares at least five cards in suit, and 
is led from one of these combinations : Ace-king- 
queen and two or more others ; king-queen and 
^¥^9^ or more small ; queen-knave-io and two or 
more small.* 

If played from first combination follow with ace, 
and partner will know you have just five cards; 
with king, six or more. From the second combina- 
tion follow with fourth best, providing queen wins. 

Though the queen, from queen-knave-io combi- 
nation, usually indicates five cards, it is often led 
from four; and if led from four, queen winning, 
follow with knave; if from five, follow with lo. 

KNAVE. 

Knave is led from ace-king-queen-knave and one 
or more small, and from king-queen-knave and two 
or more small; and declares absolutely at least five 
in suit. 

With the first combination follow with queen if 
suit contains seven or more; with king if just six; 
with ace, if five. With second combination, follow 
with qii^een, if you held originally six or more; 

* Mr Work recotamends 10 lead from this tierce instead 
of the old lead of 10 from king-knave-lO. I do not believe it 
is likely to be accepted, at all events not immediately. 



with king, if five. Even if knave wins always fol- 
low with an honor. Knave is frequently, and some- 
times with advantage, led from knave-10-9 and two 
small, but I do not recommend this play with only 
four in suit. 

TEN. 
The 10 is led from king-knave-io and two more. 
With only four in suit, most of the better players 
have discarded the 10 lead for fourth best. 

NINE. 

The 9 is led from ace-queen-10-9, or ace-knave- 
10-9 and denotes just four in suit, for, with five or 
more, the lead from this combination would be ace. 

In every case in which the foregoing combinations 
do not occur, play fourth best as an original lead. 

The preceding information does not refer to 
trump leads, as in that case the necessity for mak- 
ing high cards as soon as possible does not obtain. 
The most advanced players do not lead ace from 
less than seven trumps, unless coupled with one or 
more honors, and always lead low from five to ace- 
king. But with five or more trumps headed by a 
sequence of three to ace, or three to king, they 
play the same as in lay suits, as the third round 
will almost invariably exhaust trumps. 

IRREGULAR LEADS. 

Many a hand contains a short good suit such as 
ace-king and small; king-queen and small; queen- 
knave-io, or some similar combination, with the 
longest suit possibly a 9 and three smaller. It 
is usually better in such case to lead from the nu- 
merically weaker suit, for if you lead from your 
longer but weaker suit your partner may lead 
trumps to help you develop it. This is apt to be 
the case if he possesses fair trump strength, with 
one or more re-entry cards and some strength in 
suit you led. There is less chance for deception 
here in playing from short suit. If your long suit 
happens to be four small trumps this lead is always 
preferable. 



J 



As it is of course impossible to open with fourth 
best from a three card suit, lead your highest, and 
choose for this lead, if possible, some suit in which 
you have a sequence. The only exception to the 
lead of the highest is, when you have ace-king and 
small, lead king before ace. 

If the hand consists of ace-king-queen, follow 
king with queen, then ace. Having opened with 
king your partner will read you for four at the 
most in the suit, and will not be greatly deceived 
as to length. If followed by queen, which also 
wins, partner knows you have ace with one or no 
small. 

Never open a suit containing ace-king only as an 
initial lead. These are very valuable re-entry cards, 
if your partner has a suit which he desires led to 
him; or they may effectually block the establish- 
ment of an adversary's suit. 

The trump card has a considerable effect upon 
the opening of a hand, as, suppose a king, queen 
or knave is turned, and you have a fourchette to it; 
it is almost a sure loss of a trick to lead up to it, 
no matter how strong you may be in trumps. An 
irregular lead under these conditions is virtually a 
request for a trump lead from your partner. 

A method of achieving this result, which is fre- 
quently played, and is incorrectly called the 
"Albany Lead," is to play the highest card of a three 
card suit, say lo or 9, which marks you with at least 
four trumps and a hand to which you desire trumps 
led. The fall of cards and partner's hand will usu- 
ally show him whether the lead is regular or not, 

Foster has a variation of this play which I prefer 
for several reasons. It is to lead irregularly in your 
best suit, or at least a suit in which you have a 
stopper, say an ace or guarded king.* The advan- 
tages of this are that, while giving the same infor- 
m3.tion as regards the trump strength, you are not 
declaring weakness in any specific suit, but are 



* A favorite play illustrating this is to lead knave inptei^d 
of ten from king-knave-10 and smaller. 



8 

either strengthening your own best suit, and are 
retaining at least some strength to retard your 
adversaries' suit. 

In case of queen turned to right, and you as 
leader have ace-king-knave and others, it is a good 
play to lead king, then a lay suit. Your partner, 
as soon as he gets the lead, will play trumps, know- 
ing you have ace certainly, and most probably 
knave and others. 

Whenever there is an honor turned and you 
make a false lead, your partner will play irrespect- 
ive of the number of his trumps, a card higher than 
the turn-up, if he has it. ' If he has only three 
trumps he of course plays the highest, and if it 
wins follows with the next lower; while if he has 
four he plays the highest and follows with the 
lowest. Then if he subsequently plays a higher 
trump he is marked with four. 

Irregular leads after the first play are very fre- 
quent, and the lead depends very materially on the 
way cards have fallen. If at fourth hand you have 
taken a trick in a lay suit very cheaply, the pre- 
sumption is that your right hand opponent is very 
weak in that suit. Unless you have some very 
strong suit to develop, it is a good play to had up 
to this declared weakness. 

If your partner, at second hand, has taken a trick 
with knave or lo, it is a good play when you get 
in to lead that suit, as ace-king cannot be to your 
left, or the leader would have played one of them. 
These leads through strength and up to weakness 
in your adversaries' suits are especially good when 
you have guarded honors or tenaces in other suits. 

An irregular lead in the opening of a hand de- 
clares one of two things: either that you have no 
four card suit worth developing, or that you want 
your partner to lead trumps through an honor 
turned. 

Regarding turned honors I would say, do not be 
afraid to lead up to an ace turned, if strong in 
trumps, as the ace must make in any event. 



J 



TRUMP LEADS. 

With five trumps in hand it is usually advanta- 
geous to open with a trump. So well recognized 
and- approved a feature of play is this that, until 
very recently "Lead trumps with five" had been re- 
garded as a whist axiom. It is however a bad 
principle in whist to say "do" or "do not" and fol- 
low a fixed rule invariably. 

With a hand containing just five trumps, blank 
in one suit and weak in another, with a strong 
though not established fourth suit, I regard it as 
weak play to open with the trump. Unless you 
find your partner with some trump or lay strength, 
you may be materially aiding your adversaries. 
Rather open from your strong suit, and subse- 
quently call for or lead trumps. With five trumps, 
however, and all the other suits weak it is better to 
lead trumps, for it is a fair presumption that your 
partner will have something in suits, and your 
trump hand must help him. 

With six trumps or more, irrespective of the rest 
of the hand, it is better to lead them. 

If you have one strong suit and fair re-entry cards 
in the others, I advocate leading trumps from three 
or even two ; but the practice of leading a single 
trump, simply because it is the only one you have, 
cannot be too heartily condemned. 

With five or even four good trumps and one estab- 
lished long suit in your hand, say ace-king- queen 
and others it is better to lead a high card from this 
combination and follow with a trump. 

If your right hand adversary does not respond to 
the last lead of trumps from you or your partner, 
do not stop leading simply because you draw two 
for one. This is particularl)^ true if your partner had 
led or called for trumps, or you have enough lead- 
ing trumps to exhaust them and desire to establish 
a lay suit. 



When at any period of the game you are justified 
in believing that you and your partner hold com- 
mand of the lay suits, you should lead trumps ir- 
respective of the number held, providing of course 
neither adversary has ^called. An over-cautious 
game in trumps is usually a losing one. Do not be 
afraid to lead when the game demands it. 

SECOND HAND. 

The usual rule is to play low second hand, but 

there are many exceptions to it. Careful second 

hand play often decides match games ; and there 

• is no other department of whist requiring so much 

judgment. 

The leads, which I have called regular {usnsilly 
denominated as American) together with the estab- 
lished rule of playing fourth best as an initial lead 
from suits not containing the high card combina- 
tions, have greatly simplified the work of the second 
player. When a card lower than ten is an initial 
lead, as say 9, 8, 7 etc , the higher cards in that 
suit which are out, not remaining in leader's hand, 
can be calculated by deducting the spots on card 
led from 11. Thus, if 9 is led, there are two cards, 
8 led, three; 7, four; etc. It not infrequently hap- 
pens that second hand has all the cards higher than 
the lead, barring those remaining in the leader's 
hand. He would then play his lowest of these 
lower cards ; as, say, with eight led (8 from n 
leaves 3) second hand holds say, aee-queen-io, 
and possibly others, he plays 10. 

With two or more high cards in sequence usually 
play the lowest of the sequence — thus, with king- 
q'ueen-knave, to low card led, play knave ; queen- 
knave-io, play 10, whether you have others or not, 
unless you desire to call. (See Calls and Echoes.) 

Holding ace-king with or without others play 
king second hand. 

Holding king-queen, with two or more others,! 
play queen, but if you should have king-queea 



only, or king-queen and one, it isoccasionly a good 
play to put on king first, as it may induce leader 
to finesse on the return of the suit. 

Holding ace-king-knave, play king first time. 

Ace-queen-knave play knave. 

Ace-queen-ten and small, if strong in trumps, 
play low ; if weak in trumps, or holding more than 
four in suit, play queen, except on eight led, then 
play ID. 

Holding ace or king, together with lo or 9 and 
one small, three in suit, it is usually advantageous 
to cover 7 or 8 led with the 9 or 10 

Holding king-knave ten, play 10. 

With king-knave only, play king (A play dis- 
cussed frequently between H N. Low and the 
writer, and found to be advisable.) 

With king or queen and one small, play low, un- 
less 8 or 9 is led ; then play the honor. 

TRUMPS. 

When trumps are led you must manage second 
hand somewhat differently. Though your adver- 
saries are leading the trumps it may frequently be 
to your advantage to have the trumps out, as say 
you have a strong established suit with fair or 
good re-entry cards, the sooner trumps are ex- 
hausted the better it will be for you. With such a 
hand, holding ace-king and one or more others, 
play low second hand. In fact, as a general rule, 
with ace and king do not play either of them at 
second hand unless queen is led. But if you have 
a cross ruff established and your hand contains ace 
and others, you may not w^ant trumps out, and it is 
good whist to play your ace on the first lead of 
trumps, and continue the ruff. 

W^ith king or queen and one small in trumps, I 
advocate playing the honor always at second hand 
to low card led unless trumps are led in response to 
a call. Then play low. 

When knave is led and you hold ace and others, 
play ace if the lead is an initial one from that hand, 
for the leader probably holds king queen-knave 



with two or more small, and your ace may be sub- 
sequently trumped. 

With 10 led, holding ace-queen, with or without 
others, play queen. Holding queen and one, play 
queen. Queen and others, play low, 

Play ace to king or queen or knave led, unless to 
king led you may, if holding ace-knave and one, 
pass it. 

Play ace to any card led if your hand contains 
six or more cards of the suit, as on the subsequent 
lead it may be trumped. 

With any fourchette to a high card led (that is the 
card next higher and next lower) cover the lead : 
this can not hurt your hand and may either take 
the trick, or prevent third hand from finessing to ad- 
vantage. Apply this rule both to trump and lay 
suits. 

THIRD HAND. 

The leader's partner has to give information or 
take tricks. He can always do one or the other of 
these ; sometimes both. It is of the utmost value 
to the leader to know whether his partner is long 
or short in his suit ; so, even where there is no pos- 
sibility of blocking the suit, if he has four cards he 
should show it. The way to do this is, if a card 
which is a trick taker is led by partner, third hand 
plays third best instead of lowest, and on the fol- 
lowing trick, should he not have to take it, he plays 
second best. Leader will know, as the lowest has 
not fallen, and no one has called, that the lowest, 
with another card, are held, by his partner. This 
may prevent him leading a third time, thus giving 
one of the opponents an opportunity to trump, and 
the other to discard. 

If on first lead partner plays his lowest, leader 
can read him for three only at most in suit. 

If third hand is expected to take a trick the usual 
play is highest card, unless holding a high se- 
quence, then play lowest of sequence. This is sub- 
ject to exceptions, as, with ace-queen, to low card 



13 

led, play queen. Ace-queen-knave, play knave. 
If strong in another suit, and desirous of retaining 
a sure re-entry card, third hand may sometimes 
finesse knave from ace-knave ; but under no con- 
ditions play knave from king-knave. It is a losing 
finesse, far oftener than a winning one. 

Should third hand take trick it is frequently ad- 
visable to return partner's lead rather than open a 
weak suit. If he should do this with only three 
cards initially in the suit he returns highest ; if 
four or more, fourth best. Partner will understand 
weakness, and will play cautiously. 

If partner leads knave initially and you have ace 
and are strong in trumps, it is usually advisable to 
take the knave and lead trumps. With ace and one 
small to either knave or queen led, play ace, and if 
weak in trumps return the low card. In trumps 
third hand has considerable liberty of judgment al- 
lowed. He cannot lose his high cards, as in lay 
suits ; and as partner may oftimes be leading from 
top of three, with a strong hand outside, it may be 
preferable to finesse even if sure of losing this one 
trick. It is better to retain some trump strength 
for subsequent play rather than blank his hand of 
trumps, and possibly put himself at his opponents' 
mercy. 

If third hand, however, takes trump trick, or at 
any time takes a trick after partner has led trumps 
he should immediately lead a trump if he has one. 
The exceptions to this are few, and it requires some 
knowledge of the game to be able to violate this rule 
without injury. 

FOURTH HAND. 

Considerable skill is required to play fourth ad- 
vantageously. It frequently pays to pass a declared 
trick, as, say you have a very weak hand and could 
not open any suit without deceiving partner, if the 
trick is taken to your right, let it alone, and give 
your partner the advantage of having the play come 
to him, Or if king is led and you hold ace-knave 
and one, it is sometimes good play to pass, as it 



14 

may happen that the leader, reading ace with his 
partner, and having apparently a sure established 
suit, and one other suit fairly good, will lead 
trumps. If your trump hand is strong, and yoil 
have another suit with any strength in it, this may 
help you materially. If, however, the knave comes 
to you uncovered, it is rarely good play to remain 
off, as all good players will follow with an honor, 
and you may lose your ace by partner trumping 
the subsequent trick. Knave being led only from 
five or more, it is very probable some one may be 
short on second round — your partner just as likely 
as your adversary. 

If second hand has played a fairly high card to 
trump lead, partner with ace and two or more 
small, can frequently pass the trick to advantage ; 
as the leader, if his partner does not retain the ace, 
will read it in the second hand and be tempted to 
finesse deeply against it, thus giving second hand 
an opportunity to make a smaller card, say a knave 
or 10 if he should have it. 

It is sometimes good play to take partner's trick. 
A simple example is when, say an eight is led, sec- 
ond hand plays lo and holds the trick, fourth hand 
having queen and one small, three small trumps, 
and indifferent suit cards, if he plays queen and re- 
turns the small one, partner should immediately 
read the situation, and give him a chance to use a 
small trump, by ruffing. 

Or as a more complex situation : earlier in the 
game partner has opened a suit, strength in which 
is declared at his right. If you can read the cards 
correctly it is very frequently of great advantage to 
take a trick even if it is your partner's already, and 
lead through this strength up to your partner. 

If there is no very good reason existing why 
fourth hand should desire not to lead it is his duty 
to take any trick he can with his lowest trick taking 
card. Coups at fourth hand are sometimes disas- 
trous, and unless the player is quite advanced they 
are good things to avoid. If you have placed the 



15 

cards correctly, however, do not be afraid to make 
the most of your information and pick up any stray 
trick you can by under or over play. 

CALLS AND ECHOES. 

A call for trumps is made by playing an unnec- 
essarily high card and following with a lower. As, 
say, a trey on king led, followed at any time by the 
deuce. It was formerly regarded to mean that the 
partycallingnotonly desired trumps, but could, un- 
aided, make the odd trick. But as in the modern 
game the two hands are played by the partners as 
nearly as possible like a unit, the call is simply 
used to demand trumps and tells partner that the 
caller is strong in trumps, and has either a suit of 
his own, or has the ability to help his partner's 
hand. 

Some good players argue that you should never 
call on an adversary's lead. I cannot agree with 
them. If your hand demands a trump lead, let 
your partner know it as soon as possible. Do not 
call just because you have five trumps, but as a 
general rule I should say call if you have five 
trumps and a good lay suit ; or five trumps with 
two honors ; or six trumps with one honor. You 
may call by a single discard, as, should you pass a 
trick absolutely declared againstyou, partner should 
know you wish trumps led. Or should you discard 
on a doubtful trick a card as high as the 8 partner 
should lead trumps. Should two suits be led and 
you play a card to each of these as high or higher 
than the 8, unless the leads have indicated suits of 
great length, your partner should know you want 
trumps. 

In line with the call is the echo, showing four or 
more trumps, to partner's call or lead, and is made 
by duplicating the trump signal either in lay suits 
or trumps. If your partner should get the lead and 
open with a low trump, you taking the trick, the 
return of your lowest indicates four, or no more, 
and the drop of the cards will usually show which. 
If your partner leads from one of the high card com- 
binations in trumps, and you hold four, play your 



i6 

third best and follow with fourth at the next op- 
portunity. Deliberately forcing your partner after 
he has called indicates that you possess trump 
strength, and is equivalent to an echo. If partner 
passes a doubtful trick and you force him, you de- 
clare great trump strength, and it is equivalent to a 
call. 

An opportunity for echoing with high cards is 
frequently offered and should always be utilized, 
This, with ace-king and two others, take trick with 
ace and return king, unless one of the others is 
queen, then take trick with ace and return queen. 
This marks you with the king and one or more 
others. If king-queen and two small, play king, 
and if it wins return queen. Partner will know 
you have at least four. 

It sometimes happens that, although your part- 
ner is numerically strong in trumps and has called, 
you hold two or more honors. You should endea- 
vor to show as nearly as possible your holding. 
Thus, with ace-king-queen only, lead king then 
queen ; ace-king-queen and one small, queen, then 
ace ; ace king-queen and two small, lead queen 
then king. Holding king-queen-knave only, lead 
king, then queen ; king-queen-knave and small, 
queen, then king. Remember these leads are in 
response to a call. Otherwise they would show one 
more. It is not, as I have explained, always nec- 
essary to call with five trumps, but it is always 
obligatory for one partner to echo to the other's call 
when he has four. 

RUFFING. 

The general rule is to trump a doubtful trick, if 
you have only three trumps, and to trump a positive- 
ly losing trick no matter how many trumps you 
have. But this general rule does not apply to every 
specific case. It is usually good whist to trump a 
doutful trick, with three trumps, because presum- 
ably your trumps will be of no value to you either 
to develop your own or partner's suit. And even 
should your partner have a card capable of winning 



17 

the trick, it is well to retain as much strength as 
possible in the adversaries' suit. But if your three 
trumps are strong, say ace-king, or ace-queen, with 
a small one, and you have a strong or established 
suit, these trumps are too valuable to use for ruffing. 

For the same reason do not invariably trump a 
trick declared against you. If you should have a 
hand of, say, four trumps including two honors, 
with a very strong suit of your own, it would be 
foolish to lose command of trumps and thereby ruin 
the chances of establishing your own suit simply 
to save one or even two tricks by ruffing. 

With five trumps it is rarely good play to pass a 
trick which is positively declared against you. In 
fact, some strong players have recommended lead- 
ing a singleton when you have five trumps, and no 
suit to develop, simply for the object of ruffing. I 
think this is bad policy, and merely mention it to 
emphasize the preceding proposition. 

If at any stage of the game the opponents have 
shown trump strength, either by calling or leading, 
and you have not trumps enough to balk their play, 
trump promptly any doubtful trick you can, unless 
the fall of cards prior to this trick has demonstrated 
quite conclusively that your partner holds the win- 
ner, in which case the trick could hardly be called 
doubtful. 

Do not be afraid to trump a trick declared against 
you because the next player will over-trump; for if 
you pass the trick you give him the advantage of 
a discard which may, in fact often does, mean a 
clear gain of a trick. 

If your partner should open a suit by lead of a 
queen, knave or lo, do not trump it, because these 
cards are led only from certain high card combina- 
tions before mentioned, and your trumping may 
prevent the establishment of his suit. 

This restriction of course applies only while your 
partner continues leading high cards. Should he 
at any time lead a low card in the suit it is your 
duty to trump, if you have refused on a prior trick, 
as he is deliberately forcing you. 



DISCARDS. 

The regular rule for discards is to throw away 
a card of your weakest suit. This however is sub- 
ject to the following modifications : Should trump 
strength be declared against you, discard from your 
best protected suit. This gives direct information 
as to your best suit, and allows you at the same 
time to husband whatever strength you may have 
in your weak suits. 

When your partner has led trumps, or declared 
strength in them, if you have an opportunity to 
discard — holding one long suit with singly guarded 
honors in the others, it is better to discard a higher 
and then a lower card in your long suit rather than 
unguard your honors, as your partner might not 
be able to give you your suit. Be careful to re- 
member that this only applies when partner is 
strong, The reverse is implied when strength is 
with opponents. When partner leads trumps, and 
you have two suits which are very weak, discard if 
possible a card from each. 

No matter who has led trumps, the discard of the 
highest card of a suit proclaims that it is absolutely 
established in the discarding hand. 

The discard of the second best of a suit, unless 
followed by another, means absolute blankness 
in that suit. If it is followed by a 1 ower one it 
signifies all between. 

Never discard so as to blank your hand of the 
suit your partner has shown, unless you can take 
all the remaining tricks unaided. 

It makes no difference who has led trumps your 
discard should be made on the presumption of 
declared or implied strength. If it is certain, or 
even very probable, that you and your partner have 
equal or nearly equal strength in trumps with your 
adversaries, your discard should be from weakness, 
even though the opponents have initiated the trump 
lead. Mr. Work recommends the discard from 
weakness at all times, and this is played by both 



19 

the Hamilton and Philadelphia clubs. But as it is 
not generally accepted, it is well to follow the old 
rule as less likely to cause confusion. 

SHIFTING THE SUIT. 

If trumps are exhausted, or are declared with 
your side, should your partner be leading a suit in 
which you can give him no assistance, and you 
have a good suit of your own, ask him to change 
his suit. This you do by playing a higher card 
followed by lower in suit he is leading. 

INFERENCES. 

To be able to discover from the cards played what 
must be in certain hands is necessary to good whisl. 
While you may not be able to place with absolute 
accuracy at all times the location of certain cards, 
yet by following the play you can draw fairly 
correct inferences. These are some easy examples: 

A high card falling from any hand with apparent- 
ly no intention of taking a trick should put you on 
your guard for a trump call from that hand. 

Playing a card as high as an 8 on the initial lead 
of two suits, or the initial discard of an 8 from an 
unopened suit, denotes trump strength. 

In the trump inferences do not misjudge a cover- 
card, second hand, for a call. 

Second hand, playing queen to low card led, infer 
either king or no more; or playing king, infer no 
more; or if more, ace or queen with them (see re- 
mark on king-queen, second hand.) 

Second hand plays ace to low card led, infer either 
no more, or very long suit. 

If player has an opportunity to ruff and refuses, 
infer the possession of trump strength. 

If partner forces the player, who has refeusd, it 
is a declaration of strength on part of the forcing 
partner, and is equivalent to a call. 

If fourth hand takes a trick and immediately re 
turns the same suit, he is either quite strong in the 
suit or has no more : his partner can usually tell 



which, as, supposing second hand to have ace- 
queen, or ace-knave ; or king-knave with others, it 
probably means partner is blank. 

If third hand returns leader's suit immediately, 
infer no strong suit is in his hand. 

If second hand plays queen to lo led and takes 
the trick, infer ace either with him or fourth hand, 
and leader with king and knave. 

If second hand plays king or queen to 9 led, and 
takes trick, do not infer no more. It is proper to 
cover 9 with king or queen and one. 

If any player should have a fourchette to high 
card led, the lead is irregular, or if the card should 
be covered by the next higher, the player holding 
the next lower knows the lead is false. 

If leader plays a false card initially, with honor 
turned to his right, it is a trump call. With low 
trump turned, infer a hand with no good long suit. 

If fourth hand takes a trump cheaply, do not in- 
fer marked weakness in that hand ; but if a lay 
trick, the inference is almost absolute. 

If partner returns suit with his lowest card, he 
has two cards remaining, or no more. If the fall of 
cards leads you to suppose the latter is the case, he 
wants to trump. 

If partner takes trick with king and returns queen 
it is a demand for trumps. Infer here a hand which 
would be improved by being led to rather than by 
leading. 

Try to remember when you sit at the table that 
your partner is just as anxious to win as you are, 
and will play much better if you trust him. Work 
the two hands together as much as possible. In- 
formation and aid make the modern game of whist. 



